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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24235249">Interlaced</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cairusvt/pseuds/cairusvt'>cairusvt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Within These Carved Hearts [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SEVENTEEN (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Wizards, Author Is Not Religious, Dwarf Culture &amp; Customs, Everyone Is Gay, Fae &amp; Fairies, Fae Magic, Filipino Mythology &amp; Folklore, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Gen, M/M, Magic and Science, Multi, Myths &amp; Legends, Nature, Nature Magic, Not Beta Read, Past Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Lee Jihoon | Woozi, Reincarnation, Self-Indulgent, Setting is in the Philippines, The Author Regrets Nothing, Worldbuilding, basically this is what the world would be if i was God, philippines</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:22:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>13,731</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24235249</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cairusvt/pseuds/cairusvt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Four hearts beating as one while five minds try to move as one.<br/>Faced with the truth and faced with trials, the four of them must move once again as if the world was against them as they try to think of a way to save it.</p>
<p>An old myth, a past that's been cut, an ally with a foe, and a plan to set things in motion.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu, Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu/Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8, Jeon Wonwoo/Wen Jun Hui | Jun, Jeon Wonwoo/Xu Ming Hao | The8, Kim Mingyu/Wen Jun Hui | Jun, Kim Mingyu/Xu Ming Hao | The8, Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Within These Carved Hearts [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1749253</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Mingyu</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I told yall I'm not letting this fucker go with just one fic. So we're back and we're back with more lore and research and myth. </p>
<p>Also setting is literally my home town because (Check tag) Author is Self Indulgent.</p>
<p>PS.<br/>Not beta read as i post but I will fix and edit the spelling errors i know are in there after I finished the fic. <br/>Mainly because then it's gonna be me reading it once and editing as i go,<br/>But also because im lazy and do not have anyone to beta read my fics ahhaha sorry</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was warm. The white flame in the middle of all of them was warm. Jeonghan told them to put their left hand over the fire and it didn't feel any more warm than it did. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hellfire.</span>
  </em>
  <span> That's what Jeonghan had called it. It's the same fire in the heart of the wild that converts our soul into energy, pure energy, before we are reborn. So in a way, stitching was their second birth. being born again as one collective soul inside four bodies. It should have been impossible but Mingyu's used to the impossible being possible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He himself is a possible impossibility. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mingyu remembers the mark searing into his chest. It didn't burn as much as it felt cold. Like the coldest touch creeping under his skin and marking him, physically and spiritually. Marking him to signify that he is living not only for himself anymore, but for three other souls as well. Or maybe it's wrong to call them other souls. Mingyu's still not sure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly the white fire in front of his eyes blaze overhead and Jun steps out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mingyu watches as Grand Prime Lee helps Jun stand and Mingyu feels his heart race. He watches as Grand Prime Lee smiles at them. Mingyu remembers Grand Prime Lee saying that he was a Prime Tesser at the begining, telling him of stories hundreds of years ago. About the creatures of the Wild they had helped. About how tessering was used for more than just tactical combat strategy and how it was a way to connect the world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mingyu watches as Grand Prime Lee steps behind Wonwoo. Wonwoo falls to his knees and Mingyu watches as Grand Prime Lee wraps his hand over Wonwoo's neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"You are afraid to set fire to coals because of the tree that burned for it."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Grand Prime Lee says and he leans down. Mingyu watches as Minghao stares back at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"You're not him. We're not who they think we are, Mingyu. We are not them and I'm gonna prove it."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Minghao says and he smiles. Grand Prime Lee tightens his grip on Minghao's neck and Mignyu watches as Minghao dissolves into golden dust. Mingyu screams.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Mingyu bolts up his bed in a second and he looks around the room frantically. He tries to pace his breathing as he closes his eyes again and he groans at the searing pain at the back of his head. Mingyu checks the time on his phone and sees that it's a little past three in the morning. Mingyu figured he can't possibly fall asleep anymore so he washes up and decided to walk around the institute. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mingyu and the rest of them were still stationed with Jeonghan. But after word got out of their stitching, Jeonghan was reinstated out of the first institute. The four of them complained, as did the rest of the institute, but none of them fought back when Jeonghan himself accepted it and stepped down. The entire institute had pledged their loyalty to Jeonghan and all of them would've followed Jeonghan as well if he headn't stopped them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeonghan couldn't do anything to stop the four of them, though, and Mingyu can't help but feel proud of it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeonghan had brought them to the thirteenth Institute and Seungcheol had welcomed them with open arms. Well, the open arms were obviously only for Jeonghan and he gave the four of them a weighted look each before letting them inside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The thirteenth institute was unlike any institute Mingyu had ever been on. The entire place was covered with green and creatures of the wild roam inside freely. Mingyu would see tree nypmhs around their dining hall, local flower sprites hovering over the library's window sills, and tiny gravel goblins laughing in the pond in the middle of the institute. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We don't have protocols here, if that's what you're wondering." Seungcheol had said as Minghao comes running towards the pond. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Institutes are safe havens. They're here to serve and protect those who need it. The elders were the one who put the whole 'not creature of the wild' thing. It's completely idiotic. And counter productive." Seungcheol had said and Mingyu hums in agreement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mingyu finds himself standing by the entrance of the institute, under the huge accacia tree that serves as the boundary of the institute. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Minsanas!</span>
  </em>
  <span>" Mingyu hears and he sees him jumping down the branches over his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I told you that's not my name." Mingyu reaches his hand up and he smiles as the tree dwarf jumps on his palm. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Minsanas!"</span>
  </em>
  <span> He says again and Mingyu laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Minsanas."</span>
  </em>
  <span> He says, pointing at Mingyu, and then he points to himself and says, </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Den-de."</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"</span>
  </em>
  <span>Yeah, yeah, I know. Come on. I don't think any of them are coming today, anyways." Mingyu says and he lifts him up over his shoulder and let Den-de sit on his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mingyu heads to their little orchard as Den-de keeps speaking in dwarfish and Mingyu listens in even if he doesn't understand a single word of it. Mingyu heads for the apple trees in the middle and Den-de screeches in delight as he sees the red glint of the fruits through the soft morning fog. Mingyu laughs as Den-de keeps jumping on his shoulder and Mingyu offers him his hand and lifts him up the branches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mingyu found Den-de by accident, really. Seungcheol said he was a local tree dwarf, or a dwende and he seems to have been left behind when his tribe relocated. Which was why he was led by the Wild to the institute. Mingyu found him by the entrance barely breathing and he let Minghao take over and take care of him. Mingyu was picking apples that day and Seungcheol said that's what he called Mingyu. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mansanas is </span>
  <em>
    <span>tagalog</span>
  </em>
  <span> for apple. He basically called you apple man. Or maybe apple tree man. Yeah. Apple Tree Man kind of suits you." Seungcheol says and Mingyu rolls his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mingyu then did the whole, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I'm Mingyu. You're a dwende.</span>
  </em>
  <span>, bit which is how they ended up as Minsanas and Den-de. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mingyu takes a second to make a basket. Kneeling down and letting the grass under his hand weave themsleves into a basket. The apples fall from above Mingyu one by one and he laughs at Den-de's gleeful laugh. Mingyu smiles as he picks the apples from the ground and then he feels something jump on his head, tiny hands gripping his hair to keep himself from falling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Minsanas</span>
  </em>
  <span>!" Den-de screams and Mingyu picks up the basket and then lifts Den-de off of his head and into the basket as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mingyu walks back in the Institute and smiles at Den-de already hugging one of the apples, claiming it as his. Mingyu leaves the rest of the apples in the pantry by the dining hall and he walks around the institute sharing an apple with Den-de. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>By nine in the morning, Mingyu sits by the pond as Den-de holds a makeshift spear at the edge of the water trying to catch something in the pond. Mingyu focuses, tries to remember what Wonwoo had taught him, and he tessers his books from his desk to him. Den-de jumps at the thud from Mingyu accidentally tessering his entire desk out and Den-de falls in the water. Mingyu laughs at him flaining and Mingyu uses the grass by the edge of the pond to lift Den-de out of the water. Den-de grumbles as he shakes water off of him, throwing his spear on the ground as he stomps off towards Mingyu. Mingyu apologizes to him and Den-de grunts and climbs up the tree by the pond. Mingyu takes his books off the desk and tessers his desk back to his room. Hopefully it's back the proper way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mingyu sits by the edge, taking off his slippers and letting his feet soak in the water as he opens his book. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've been looking for that book." Mingyu hears behind him and Jeonghan sits next to him, dipping his feet in the water as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I figured it could help me with the whole.... you know." Mingyu says and Jeonghan nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, has it?" Jeonghan asks and Mignyu sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've read it four times over and surprisingly enough i didn't get anything new from the very first time I've read it." Mingyu says and Jeonghan takes the book from Mingyu.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Surprising." Jeonghan says and he flips through the pages.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>History of Wiccans</span>
  </em>
  <span> was the very first published work  about wiccans. Did you know that?" Jeonghan asks and Mingyu shakes his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It was written by you." Jeonghan says and Mingyu frowns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, you in your past life." Jeonghan says and Mingyu sees lotus sprites flying over the water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He was the most level headed of the five, so they say. Able to hold his emotions like it's a physical thing. He was the first of the heart bearers and everyone saw him as the center of the five." Jeonghan says and Mingyu turns to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Center of the five?</span>
  </em>
  <span>" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The term heart bearer means one thing now and it meant another eons ago." Jeonghan says and Mingyu watches as Jeonghan flips to the very first page and shows Mingyu the transmutation circle of the wiccan table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The Wild and the Illustrate as the legs. The truth and reality lifting us up so we can stand in face of travesty." Jeonghan points at their symbols at the bottom of the circle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The Hearth and the Tesser as the arms. To reach and connect all that is and all that will ever be." Jeonghan says as he points at their symbols as well. Then he points at the top. Mingyu's symbol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The Compulser. The head and heart. He bears the heart of all and only he can carry it's weight." Jeonghan recites and Mingyu stares.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The term heart bearer wasn't just a description before, Mingyu. It was a threat." Jeonghan says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"To have the ability to make anyone feel the most unbearable pain or to make them feel the worst weight a heart can bear. Mingyu, compulsers were the army of the old wiccans. That's why they were eliminated."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Eliminated?" Mingyu asks and Jeonghan sighs, looking over his shoulders subtly as if trying to hide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm afraid the history you've read is tainted red." Jeonghan says and he stands up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm... Your plan. Our plan for the four of you, it's been compromised. I've let my guard down and that's all on me." Jeonghan says and Jeonghan sighs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've called for them. You four are to leave this place tonight. I'll tell you everything later." Jeonghan says and both of them tenses as they hear a soft scream over the tree. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mingyu takes a second to recognize Den-de's voice and he immediately gets up and sees him running down the branches and he jumps towards Mingyu. Mingyu staps into the water to catch him and Mingyu can feel how terrified he was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mingyu." Mingyu hears from the tree and he jumps back. gold dust starts pouring out of the leaves and by the trunk of the tree Mingyu sees the pile of dust take form and he sees Minghao on his knees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mingh-" "Don't." Jeonghan stops him and Mingyu shakes Jeonghan's arm off and runs to Minghao only to stop when he sees it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A huge white serpent with a blood red forked tongue slithers from behind Minghao and starts wrapping itself around Minghao.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jeonghan." Mingyu called out but Jeonghan just pulls him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's not a creature of the Wild, Mingyu. It's an old soul." The snake stares at the two of them and Mingyu freezes as the snake caught his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Are you the one he calls for?</em>
  </b>
  <span> The voice says and Mingyu nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My name is Mingyu."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>And you are his person? </em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes. And he is mine."</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>He has given much for such a little favor. </em>
  </b>
  <span>The snake says and Mingyu watches as the snake wrap itself around its body and it starts to build up height before. A second later a woman stand in between Mingyu and Minghao. A slender and elegant woman with sharp eyes and fair skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My name is</span>
  <em>
    <span> Bai Su Zhen."</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"The great elder snake of China." Jeonghan says behind Mingyu and the lady smiles and bows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Forgive us for the sudden intrusion in your haven but it appears your person has a lot of dark souls trailing him. I've given him much of my own strength just to transport us hear and I'm afraid he's in terrible condition." She says and Mingyu runs to Minghao and kneels on his side. Mingyu feel a little bit of coldness in Minghao's soul that he has never felt before and he looks up to Su Zhen. He remembers stories, the legend of the white snake. The while healer snake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If you are the great elder snake then you are the great healer demon." Mingyu says and she nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If you are asking for my assistance, I have to tell you that my price is not cheap." Su Zhen says and Jeonghan takes a step forward. Su Zhen lifts her hand up to Jeonghan and Jeonghan sighs. He takes a step back and Mingyu looks right at Su Zhen's eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't care." Mingyu says. He sets Den-de down on Minghao's chest and he carries him inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mingyu carries Minghao to Minghao's room and sets him down on his bed. Mingyu watches as Den-de presses his ear to Minghao's chest and he gasps. He starts frantically gesturing to Minghao as Jeonghan and Su Zhen comes in the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The little one is right." Su Zhen comments and Mingyu turns to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You can understand him?" Mingyu aks and Su Zhen nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He seems to know exactly what I need to help him. Would you be so kind as to help our little friend get what I need?" Su Zhen asks Mingyu and Mingyu stands up. He picks up Den-de and turns to Jeonghan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Look after him for me. And tell the others to hurry." Mingyu Says to Jeonghan and Mingyu heads for the window.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There's one thing they all were thankful for about Grand Prime Lee, and that's the fact that he taught them all one great trick. Mingyu holds onto Den-de with his left hand and reaches his right hand for  the branch of a tree right over his window. Mingyu focuses and he lets Den-de direct them when to go when Mingyu fuses them into the tree and inside the wild. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a lot like tessering but it was a lot warmer. Instead of folding space and time it's like you're squeezing yourself in between the ground. Mingyu focuses and waits for Den-de sign to resurface. When they do, Mingyu finds himself out in a clearing in the middle of a forrest. Huge thick trees surround the tree line and a bunch of wild flowers and herbs scattered around the ground. Den-de jumps from Mingyu's hand and he start running through the feild. Den-de starts picking up flowers annd a few stalks of whatever herbs that was and Mingyu would've lost him in the field if it wasn't for the tall flower he was carrying. When he finally stops and starts jumping around, Mingyu walks up to him and he gave Mingyu the cluster he'd picked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is this all of it?" Mingyu asks and Den-de nods. Den-de then climbs up Mingyu's pants and shirt and settled on Mingyu's shoulder. Mingyu runs towards the closest tree to him and it takes him a second to infuse himself in the tree and heads back to the institute. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>MIngyu blinks and he was standing by the window of Minghao's room. Su Zhen and Seungcheol speaking by the door while Jeonghan sat on Minghao's side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm back." Mingyu says and all three of them turns to look a thim. Su Zhen smiles and walks towards him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thank you, little one." Su Zhen says to Den-de and he takes the herbs and flowers from Mingyu.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mingyu, you have to listen to me. Su Zhen isn't just a healer, she is the greatest of all demon healers. Those are different." Seungcheol says and Mingyu ignores him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How long before you can cure him?" Mingyu asks and Su Zhen conjures up a wooden bowl from her robe and Mingyu watches as she tears the petals and leaves inside and she mixes them with his fingers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>Mingyu</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Seungcheol walks up to him and Mingyu sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't care, Seungcheol." Mingyu says and Seungcheol sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You should listen to your companions, young one. I have told you before that my price is not cheap." Su Zhen says and Mingyu sits next to Jeonghan, facing Su Zhen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your person, he has barely enough life in him right now and these herbs won't work without your payment." Su Zhen says and she smiles at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My payment?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I cannot create life force out of nothing, young one. I would need you to give him your own." Su Zhen says and Mingyu stares.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay." Mingyu says without missing a beat and Su Zhen smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your heart is spilling everywhere, young one. You must be careful." Su Zhen says and she conjures up two small cups. She pours what she had made into the two cups and she offered one to Mingyu. Su Zhen then sits up next to Minghao and lifts his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"These cups would tie your lives together. If you two drink from this then your life will flow to him. Are you really willing to do this?" Su Zhen asks and Mingyu answers by tipping the cup into his mouth and finishing it in under a second. Jeonghan screams for his name as Mingyu sets the cup aside and he held onto Minghao's hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What a rather intimidating heart you have." Su Zhen says and she tips the cups slowly over Minghao's lips. Minghyu waits. He waits for anything, to feel anything, to know that the spell worked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Su Zhen stands up and she bows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I apologize for tricking you, young one, but it was necessary." Su Zhen says and Minghao groans. He then turns to his side and pulls Mingyu's hand towards his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He was just under a sleeping tonic. Nothing dangerous. But he agreed to me tricking you so I apologize on his behalf as well." Su Zhen explains and Mingyu stares, not processing any of this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your person, Minghao, had come to me asking me to look into his previous life." Su Zhen says and Mingyu remembers her story now. How she fell inlove with the human who was a reincarnation of the first man who had ever showed her kindness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And what did you take from him in return?" Mingyu asks and Seungcheol sighs by the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Bai Su Zhen doesn't ask for anything in return if the person is asking her a favor in the name of love, Mingyu." Jeonghan explains and Mingyu stares at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was once tested to show my love for my Xu Xian. So I promised myself that if lovers would come to me I would just have to know the measures of their love and I will help them with all that I can." Su Zhen says and Mingyu stares at Mignhao's sleeping face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He will wake up. But I'm afraid I won't have good news for him when he does." Su Zhen says and all three of them held their breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Minghao had asked me to look into your previous life to prove that you are not the First Great Compulser. But I'm afraid I cannot." Su Zhen says and Mingyu feels his chest tightening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You've seen his previous life as well, right? Is he..." Mingyu trails off and Su Zhen nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I have been alive when they were at their prime. Such powerful and sad hearts for anyone to bear." Su Zhen says and just then, the door behind Seungcheol opens and Wonwoo and Jun comes in, panting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No one is dying. Everyone's fine. Both of you take that dreadful look off of your faces and sit next to Mingyu. Maybe you can level his head for him." Seungcheol says and Jun and Wonwoo does as he said. Jeonghan stands up as Jun sits to Mingyu's left and Wonwoo to his right. Jun runs his hand through Minghao's hair as Wonwoo held onto Mingyu's right hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My, my. So it really is true." Su Zhen says and Mingyu turns to Wonwoo and Jun before he turns to Su Zhen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's been so long since I've seen love this whole and consuming. Such a warm color you four have." Su Zhen says and Mingyu sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So... the four of us are..." Mingyu trails off againa nd Su Zhen nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't fret, young one. our previous lives are not as much a burden as you think." Su Zhen says and she smiles at them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I must admit I've grown fond of your love. If you ever need my assistance, do not hesitate to come to me." Su Zhen says and she turns to Jeonghan and Seungcheol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I shall be on my way now." Su Zhen says and Jeonghan walks around the bed as Seungcheol opens the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And remember, young one. Love is the heaviest burden of our hearts." Su Zhen says and she steps out of th eroom. Seungcheol and Jeognhan escorts her out and Mingyu lets out a deep sigh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I don't want to like, sound stupid, but what the hell is happening?" Wonwoo asks and Mingyu can't help but laugh softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hell if I know." Mingyu says and he feels Minghao squeezing his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hao?" Jun calls for him and Minghao sits up on his bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You okay?" Mingyu asks and Minghao nods. Den-de jumps off of Mingyu's shoulder and climbs up Minghaos lap and onto his chest. He presses his ear to Minghao's chest and this time he smiles. He jumps off and smiles at Mingyu before giving him a thumbs up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. Thanks buddy." Mingyu says and Minghao smiles at Den-de.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay I have a lot of question and the dwarf is probably first on the list." Wonwoo says and Den-de turns to him and waves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll explain everything." Minghao says and he turns to Mingyu.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But what did she say?" Minghao asks and Mingyu sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She said you were right. All four of us are... them in our previous lives." Mingyu says and Minghao lets out a deep sigh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Fuck." Minghao says and Den-de surprises everyone by screaming </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span> on Minghao's lap. He grins at Mingyu and Mingyu smiles back and sighs. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Minghao</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minghao starts his story by telling them about the lore behind her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Bai Su Zhen's story didn't start with her, but with her husband.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Xu Xian was a local herbalist in his town, working as an apprentice for another until he was confident enough to stand on his own. But his previous master had tricked him, offering him help by supplying him herb when in reality he would give him rotten herbs that would cure no illness whatsoever. And when a disease breaks out in their town, people flooded his shop but he knows not how to help them with such herbs. But his wife, Bai Su Zhen, comes in and offers to help in making a usable tonic from the rotten herbs. And with her tonic, the town gets better one person at a time. Her tonic was so effective that even Xu Xian's old master had to buy back some of the rotten herbs he has sold Xu Xian to help his own family. But Xu Xian accepted no payment for him and Su Zhen's love for her husband grew even more. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The story of the herbalist spread even beyond their town and a monk in the name of Fa Hai caught word of it. Intrigued by the miracle like work they've done, he had invited Xu Xian to his temple. Su Zhen had told him not go but Xu Xian insisted that it would be deemed disrespectful to not submit to a monks summoning. So he left. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fa Hai wasted no time in telling Xu Xian about his glory. How his success was tainted by the devil. He then proceeds to tell Xu Xian that there was a great demon helping him in his endeavours and that great demon is called Bai Su Zhen. Xu Xian laughed and told him it was ridiculous for his lovely and gentle wife to be a demon and Fa Hai scoffs at his ignorance. He then offers an herb to Xu Xian and told him to serve it to Su Zhen when the demons are at their weakest. Xu Xian knew his love topples over his doubt but he accepted the herb so he can go about his way back home. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he did arrive home, doubt seems to shroud over his love and he tried to test the herb anways. He offered it as a new healing tea for Su Zhen and as soon as she tasted it she claimed to have felt faint. She rushed to their bed and Xu Xian's heart races with fear. Fear that the monk was right. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>And he was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There, lying in their bed, was a great white serpent with a blood red forked tongue. The shock had come to Xu Xian's poor, weak heart and his heart fails instantly. Dying at the foot of their bed. Su Xhen hears this and she wakes up and finds herself in her serpent form. Grief and pain took over her heart but she didn't let her head be clouded with it. Instead, he tried to remember all of her knowledge about herbs, and healing. About ways to heal and revive. And one herb comes to mind. So Su Zhen conjures up a cloud and she rides it towards the peak of Kun Lun Mountain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's been said that at the forbidden peaks of the Kun Lun Mountains lie an herb guarded by a wise old man and his desciples. This herb can cure any diseas and if worked well enough, can revive the dead. As she reached the peak, she saw a bridge of silver with a warning "Beyond Mortal" haning overhead. Su Zhen knew that if they see her, they would immediatelly know what she came for. So she disguised herself as a monk and went on. She saw the two desciples guarding the herb and she paid them her respect, telling them that a monk of the name Fa Hai had asked for the old man's audience. The two disciples nodded and left to get the wise old man. Su Zhen took this opportunity to grab a piece of the herb and run. One of the disciples saw her and she decided to hide the herb under her tongue as she makes a break for it. But once she did, the power of the herb took over and it forced her, and one of the disciples, to show their true form. Su Zhen as a white serpent and the disciple as a graceful crane.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Su Zhen fought and struggled against the crane and the wise old man saw her determination. Saw her conviction and he asked her why she would need such an herb when she herself is an immortal demon. Su Zhen tells him of her husband and the wise old man asks why would she go through all of this trouble for one man. Su Zhen then tells him that it's because the man he married in this lifetime is a reincarnated soul of the man who had helped her centuries ago, back when she was merely just a white serpent. He showed her kindness then when she was nothing and she had loved her soul since. The wise old man told her that reviving her husband would not revive his love for her. He knew she was a demon now so he might never love her again. Su Zhen nods, accepting that already, and told the wise old man that she does not care about being loved back for as long as her Xu Xian can live and love for longer. The wise old man was touched by the sentiment and he let her go. He paid his respect for Su Zhen and Su Zhen thanked him as much as she could. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She raced back home and immediately gave Xu Xian the herb. Xu Xian woke up and Su Zhen braced herself with heartbreak only to be held by Xu Xian. He tells her of how he had regretted ever fearing her and he was more afraid of dying and not seeing another day with her. Su Zhen cries happily as she let him hold her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That's romantic." Wonwoo comments and Jun hums.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How did she ride a cloud, though? Like, can we do that?" Jun asks and Minghao sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's what you got out of that?" Minghao asks and Mingyu laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So you went to her because she can see her husbands past life." Mingyu states and Minghao nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And you also agreed to make me think you're dying just to prove what, that I </span>
  <em>
    <span>loved</span>
  </em>
  <span> you?" Mingyu asks with an incredibly cold voice and Minghao tenses up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"To prove to her. Not to me." Minghao argues and Mingyu scoffs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's the difference in that?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I can't speak for you and I can't speak for how you feel for me, Mingyu." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wasn't that the whole purpose of stitching together? To be one and to be parts of the same whole or whatever the fuck?" Mingyu exclaims and Wonwoo tries to call his name.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It was a test, Mingyu! She told me it was necessary."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Necessary for what? To prove that you're right?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No! To prove that </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> were!" Minghao yells back and Mingyu falls back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ever since Grand Prime Lee happened you've never been the same! You would keep to yourself and would even strain yourself just to keep your emotions from showing and it's pathetic and I'm sick of it. You're the one who told him that we aren't them. That we're not the same people who made that plan and I know you were lying. You believed him when he said we were them and you lied by saying you didn't. And whenever the topic comes up you just keep on lying." Minghao was breathing hard when he finished and Wonwoo was already in between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Both of you stop this." Wonwoo says and Minghao glares at Mingyu.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Whatever. You got your answer and you were right. We are them. And we planned to reshape the world by killing everyone in it. I hope you're at least happy about that." Minghao says and he wipes a stray tear off of his cheek and he storms off. He passes by Jeonghan and Su Zhen as he walks out of the room and he couldn't be bothered to show some respect and he just runs. He's particularly good at running, it seems.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Minghao knew there wasn't a safe hiding spot inside the institute so he goes out and hides in the forest right outside. He tries to keep his breathing stable as he breathes in the fresh air and he was starlted by the movement in his jacket pocket. Minghao carefully reaches in and he finds a dwarf climbing up his hand settiling in his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hello." Minghao greets him and the dwarf stares at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, wait. I remember you." Minghao says and ehe wipes the dirt off of his face and Den-de lets him.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"You're Appleman's friend."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Den-de says in dwarfish and Minghao nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Yeah. Yeah I guess I am. How have you been?"</span>
  </em>
  <span> Minghao asks and Den-de frowns.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Are you gonna leave and take Appleman? I like Appleman."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Den-de says and Minghao sighs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minghao finds a rather huge tree with a wide branch and he climbs up easily and sits on the branch, leaning back on the trunk as Den-de gets off his shoulder and sits in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Appleman was waiting for you."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Den-de says and Minghao sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"He was?"</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Yes. He plants himself next to a tree and he waits for you like a flower would wait for the sun.</span>
  </em>
  <span>" Minghao feels his heart hurt from his words and the tears he's been holding back finally breaks out.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"He's done so for two full moons now and i think that's why he keeps growing. Like a tree."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Den-de says and Mignhao laughs through his tears.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"You know what? He is kind of like a tree."</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Yes. Appletreeman. He is big and he protects and he welcomes."</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"He welcomes?"</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Yes. He has his arms open always like branches of a tree and he helps and keep us safe. He welcomes wild creatures and he does not tame. Not like the others."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Den-de says and Minghao nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Yeah. His heart is too big for him." </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"I know. He says that's why he only wears a quarter of it everyday. He says he hides three more pieces somewhere safe. But i think he's the safest. Right?"</span>
  </em>
  <span> Den-de asks and Minghao nods as he cries.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"It's okay. You can cry more. I can watch over you while you cry more."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Den-de says and Minghao does. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When the sun was low and the shadow of the trees mimics the night, Minghao composes himself and made a deal with Den-de to not say anything to Mingyu about what happened in exchange for something. They walk back in the institute and Minghao heads straight for the orchard first. He sets Den-de down and Minghao picks up a fallen branch form an apple tree and sticks it to the ground. Minghao places his hands on either side of the branch and lets it grow up until it was a foot tall and Den-de shrieks as small flowers bloom and tiny versions of the apple sprouted form them. He runs to hug Minghao's thigh and Minghao laughs as he picks up every apple from the tree and eats them with in just one bite each. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think he's better off with regular sized apples if that how he eats." Wonwoo's voice says from behind Minghao and Minghao turns and smiles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Here, let me." Wonwoo says and he does the tesser sign as he looks up at the apple tree and a small triangular portal opens in front of Den-de. Den-de shrieks once again and he runs for the portal. Minghao watches him disappear and he hears him screaming from the branches above. Minghao sees a bunch of  portals opened next to the apples and Den-de keeps screaming in delight as he attackes the apples one at a time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's quite loud for someone so small." Wonwoo says and he sits next to Minghao facing the other way and then he lies down on the ground. Minghao was still on his knees and he watches Wonwoo watching Den-de from the tree.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well? You found me." Minghao says and Wonwoo raises an eyebrow as he turns his gaze on him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll awalys find you, remember?" Wonwoo asks and Minghao nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I just fingured you'd want some alone time. But I guess you weren't so alone." Wonwoo says and he opens another portal and reaches his hand in to grab Den-de. He pulls him out and Minghao laughs at the image of Den-de hugging a half eaten apple with his mouth puffed up. Den-de squirms out of Wonwoo's hand and he runs back in the portal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mingyu basically adopted him after you and Jun left. We helped him out and he stayed around here, pestering Mingyu for apples. He calls him Appleman, by the way." Minghao says and Wonwoo laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How fitting." Wonwoo notes and Minghao nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mingyu really likes it here. I used to think that he found this place to be his home but..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Den-de told me he waited for us. Everyday. He would stand by the entrance and he would just wait."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What, like, when we tell him we're coming back?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No, like, everyday." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That idiot." Wonwoo says and he scoffs and smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why does that make me love him even more?" Wonwoo asks and Minghao smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. He does have that affect on people." Minghao says and Wonwoo places his hand on Minghao's thigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You did what you thought was best for the four of us, Hao. He knows that." Wonwoo says and he holds Minghao's hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What now?" Minghao asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What do we do now that it's confirmed?" Minghao asks and Wonwoo sighs, looking up at Den-de.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Right now, we need to just stay here for a bit. Maybe enjoy a few apples." Wonwoo says and Minghao nods. Wonwoo sits up and holds Minghao's face with one hand and he kisses his forehead softly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You and Mingyu need to take it slow for a bit, okay. We'll figure something out. Together." Wonwoo says and Minghao sighs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wonwoo had a rather difficult time trying to get Den-de down the tree with how fast he is so Minghao had to intervene and promise Den-de another tree for tomorrow. When he gets down, though, he walks straight to Wonwoo and climbs up his leg and his shirt, settling on his shoulder before hugging his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's calling you the apple bringer." Minghao translates and Wonwoo laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think he thinks you're a god."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Damn right I am." Wonwoo says smugly and they walk back inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wonwoo insisted to walk aorund the institute sincce he hasn't been back for quite a while now. The library, the dinisng hall, the training room. And Wonwoo leaves the pond in the middle of the institute for last since it was his favorite. But when they got there they see Su Zhen and Jeonghan talking under the tree. Jeonghan notices them immediately and he smiles at them. He says one last thing to Su Zhen and he bows before making his way towards them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It seems I can teach you lot anything but none of you can learn to leave your recklessness behind." Jeonghan says and Wonwoo shrugs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Its the one thing we have in common other than our respect for you, I guess." Wonwoo says and Jeonghan smiles as he shakes his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Bai Su Zhen wants to have a word with Minghao but i don't think he'll mind one more person." Jeonghan says and Wonwoo points at his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sorry. I meant one more person and one adorably clingy dwarf." Jeonghan says and Minghao watches as Den-de smiles at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Have dinner with me and Seungcheol up in his office. Come up as soon as you've escorted her out, okay?" Jeonghan asks and they both nod. Jeonghan walks past them and Wonwoo takes Minghao's hand and leads the way towards Su Zhen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do you know of the stories of the greeks?" Su Zhen asks as they walked up to her and Minghao shakes his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"They believe that a person was created with four legs, fours arms, and a head with two faces. The perfect human." Su Zhen starts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But their gods found that they were too perfect so they split them up, leaving each half to live their lives trying to find the other to feel whole. To feel complete." Su Zhen says and Wonwoo nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think I remember this. The perfect being, right?" Wonwoo asks and Su Zhen nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My, what a lovely voice you have." Su Zhen comments out of no where and Wonwoo seems a bit taken back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But yes. That's the story. But It's rather romanticized, don't you think?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What is?" Minghao asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Being whole. Being perfect." Su Zhen says and she looks up the tree.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've been a healer for eons now and I've yet come to find a perfect being. One with no flaw, no weakness. Just whole." Su Zhen says and then he smiles down at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But in all the years I've been alive, I've never felt a more perfect love than the love that revolves around you. The four of you." Su Zhen says and Minghao tenses.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You four balance each other out perfectly. A love that needs distance in a heart that yearns for constant presence. Hearts that beat as one but one would die for the other to live peacefully while the other," She stares at Minghao, "would rather live in pain just so he could live for love." Su Zhen says and Wonwoo's hand tightens.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Love isn't good nor is it bad, young prince. It's not a cure nor is it a disease. It's an herb." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's raw, and alive, and it is only as good or as bad, as your heart deems it to be." Su Zhen says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"A rotten herb?" Minghao asks and She nods, smiling, before she bows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I leave you with that as my parting gift, young ones. And I'm not one to play favorites but do come and find me when you are in need of assistance. I've only been an audience all my life. I watched as young hearts burn themselves out and I've grown tired of just watching." Su Zhen says and she lifts her hand up in the air and something starts forming below his feet until she's standing on a cloud that's floating above the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Farewell, young ones. And remember what I said. " Su Zhen says and she bows one last time before she flies off. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wonwoo and Minghao stand there, staring at the sky and her trail of cloud dispersing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She flew off..." Wonwoo says and Minghao nods</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"In a cloud." Wonwoo adds and Minghao nods again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jun's gonna love this." Wonwoo says and Minghao laughs. Wonwoo leads him back inside, pulling him in by the hand, and Minghao smiles at her words.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Wonwoo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this got burried under all my commissions buuuuutttt here we are &lt;3<br/>The platonic Woncheol here is my fave</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Wonwoo tries to pry the dwarf off of his neck as soon as they got in Seungcheol's office and he gives up when he just grips harder onto Wonwoo's skin. Wonwoo sighs and watches as everyone in the room stares at him and the grumbling dwarf.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's a bit clingy, isn't he?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Only if he likes you." Mingyu says and Wonwoo finds them standing inthe middle of the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm guessing we're not having actual dinner tonight." Wonowo says and Jeonghan nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You'll get to eat later. Right now we're thinking of were to hide you four." Seungcheol says and he shows Wonwoo a map. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hide us?" Minghao asks and Jeonghan nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I called you all here for a reason. Su Zhen's visit was a great enough suprise that we may just be able to hide your trail under hers." Jeonghan says and Wonwoo pulls Mignhao into the room and takes the maps from Seungcheol. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Tesser peaks?" Wonwoo asks and Seungcheol smiles smugly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How many do you have?" Minghao asks and Seungcheol shrugs. Smugly. Wonwoo can almost laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"About a hundred." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I only have around eighty seven as of yesterday." Wonwo says as he studies Seungcheol's map and he smiles at Seungcheol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Impressive." Jeonghan takes the map from Wonwoo's hand and sets it back on the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But let's compare each other's peaks some other time, alright boys?" Jeonghan asks and he scans the map. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Long distance tessering is okay but we need to get them off your trail so we need multiple tessering." Jeonghan says and Wonwoo nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What if we tesser where they would think we would go but stay somewhere they won't think we would." Mingyu asks and Wonwoo turns to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's how </span>
  <em>
    <span>lobos</span>
  </em>
  <span> hunt. Local werewolves here. They would anticipate where a prey would expect them and then hide somewhere else. Somewhere closer." Mingyu says and Wonwoo watches Minghao smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You learned how they hunt? Those aren't even in any books here." Minghao says and Mingyu lowers his gaze.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I, uh..." Mingyu says and Seungcheol laughs/</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You didn't know?" Seungcheol asks and he pulls out one of the newer books in his shelf and he holds it out to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There was a pack of them that was chased off near the boundaries of the institute and most of the wiccans and cratures were too afraid to to see that they needed help." Jeonghan says and he takes the book from Seungcheol's hand and flips it in the middle. Wonwoo grabs for the book and sees an illustration of a pack of wolves lowering their heads to a man in front of the Institute gates with a red line going down from his shoulder to his palm.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The creatures of the wild had started calling him Moon Fang." Seungcheol says, grinning, and Wonwoo laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My friend here calls him apple tree. I think that suits him better." Wonwoo adds and Mingyu smiles at him. Minghao takes hold of Mingyu's hand and started turning it over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What are you doing?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wolves of any kind won't accept any one in their pack without-" Minghao gasps. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's fine." Mingyu says, pulling his hand away but Wonwoo pulls it back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"They bit you?!" Jun asked out loud and Mingyu laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's to show them that I'm part of the pack. It healed instantly." Mingyu argues and he laughs nervously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You wrote a book about it." Wonwoo says out loud and Mingyu turns to smile at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"They won't know we're not monsters until we show them who we are. Right?" Mingyu says and Wonwoo can hear Minghao hold his breath. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wonwoo watches as Mingyu reaches for Minghao's hand and Wonwoo rolls his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm gonna need a copy of this." Wonwoo says and Seungcheol takes it from his hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Maybe live up 'til we publish more and I'll make sure you get one." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"One of us almost dies, we fight amongst ourselves, we kiss and make up, and then we get death threats." Jun says and he sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just another Tuesday." Jeonghan says and he smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I won't be tracking you but If you don't check in on me once a day I will track you myself and hand you over to them. Have I made myself clear?" Jeonghan tells them. Or maybe threatens them, Wonwoo's not too sure. But they all agree.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not gonna lecture you lot. You're all too old for that." Seungcheol says and he turns to Wonwoo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But remember my favor." Seungcheol says to him and Wonwoo nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's highly unlikely but, yeah." Seungcheol says as he returns the book to his shelf and Wonwoo tells himself to not let his heart hurt for Seungcheol. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that, Jeonghan officially lets them go. Wonwoo feels another weight on his heart as Jeonghan hugs them all goodbye. Wonwoo lets himself to be pulled aside by Seungcheol and Seungcheol gives him an old textbook.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do you remember the stargazer petals I showed you? On top of the Mountain of Moons?" Seungcheol asks and Wonwoo nods. He remembers the bright pink flowers glowing under the night sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We would use the petals of the flower and use the extract to mix it in the ink. We would use those for old books so we can read under moonlight. Of course we didn't have elctricity back then so it was very useful." Seungcheol says and he hands Wonwoo a book.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This book would help you out when you need it most." Seungcheol says and Wonwoo turns the book over and he reads the title.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <b>
    <em>Tessering for the young ones</em>
  </b>
  <span>? Really?" Wonwoo asks and Seungcheol laughs. Seungcheol pulls him in for a hug and Wonwoo laughs as he does. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Tell him I'm coming." Seungcheol says quietly and Wonwoo nods. Wonwoo pulls back and Seungcheol gives him one last stern look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Come on." Jun says and he held out his hand to Wonwoo. Wonwoo takes it and he smiles at Seungcheol and Jeonghan as Jun tessers them out of the institute. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Wonwoo looks around and he smiles at the view. They were on top of the mountain somewhere and he looks at the other three to ask where to go to next only to find all of them staring at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" Wonwoo asks and Minghao points at his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shit." Wonwoo says and he reaches for the dwarf. He lets Wonwoo hold him in his hand and Wonwoo feels sorry for making the little guy go through a tesser without even warning him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, little guy. Hey, sorry about that." Wonwoo apologizes and Minghao takes him in his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I can help him get back to the institute." Minghao says and he speaks to the dwarf in a different tongue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I wish i could speak dwarf." Mingyu says and Wonwoo laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay. Uh, I don't think he wants to come back." Minghao says and the dwarf jumps from his hand onto Mingyu's shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I guess that answers that." Jun says and Wonwoo watches as Mingyu helps the dawrf up his shoulder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We're going to the city. I don't think they'd take it well when they see a dawrf on a Korean giant's shoulder." Jun suggest and Mingyu slaps his arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hold on." Minghao says and he passes a hand over him and Wonwoo watches as the dwarf shimmers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's basically invisible from other people." Minghao says and Mingyu tries to wipe the bit of smudge off of the dwarf's face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Aw, look at you." Wonwoo says and Mingyu stops. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shut up." Mingyu says and he ignores Wonwoo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think this is the mighty Moon Fang in action. So fitting." Minghao says and he runs his hand through Mingyu's hair and fixes it out of his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You all can shut up now." Mingyu says and he huffs. He takes Jun's hand and Wonwoo holds onto Minghao before they tesser away again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They go to quite a few places from then. A couple of hide outs Wonwoo's marked and quite a few more from Suengcheol's map. But when they were all sure they can barely be tracked, Mingyu suggests traveling through the wild and Wonwoo nods. This time they let Mingyu and Minghao lead and Wonwoo blinks as his eyes adjust to the city lights as the come out of a lone tree in th emiddle of a huge park. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Where are we?" Wonwoo asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"City right next to Clark. Or the city next to the city next to it." Mingyu says and Minghao hums.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The wild here is more restless." Mingyu says and he takes a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's a good spot. A mall and a hotel." Wonwoo argues and Jun looks up at the building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Uh. This is a motel." Jun points out and Wonwoo sighs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Theres are worse places. Spare me the lecture, Junhui." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm just saying. Four guys, no luggage, checking in on a motel. Such a gossip." Jun says and Wonwoo sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shit. I didn't think of that." Wonwoo admits and Jun walks past him and pats his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Of course you didn't." Jun says and he walks down the street. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Come on. You three buy food and I'll handle the rest." Jun says and Jun crosses the road. Wonwoo was about to follow when he feels him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You two go get food. I'm gonna try to unstitch the tessers we've made. It could buy us a few more days." Wonwoo says and Mingyu nods. He and Minghao crossed the road and Wonwoo watches them disappear inside the mall before turning and walking into the trees. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're gonna have to work on hiding yourself better if you're gonna keep stalking us." Wonwoo says and he laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm hiding myself from them, not you. Trust me. If i was trying to hide from you you wouldn't be able to feel me when I'm right next to you." Grand Prime Lee says and Wonwoo scoffs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You underestimate me." Wonwoo says and he tessers a boulder from the mountain over Grand Prime Lee's head and he scoffs when Jihoon tessers it right behind Wonwoo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"A rock?" Grand Prime Lee asks and Wonwoo smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. Guess which mountain it's from?" Wonwooo asks and he slams his fist on the rock and lets his energy flow in it and it bursts into a bright white light. Grand Prime Lee flinches, turns his head away as he takes a step back and Wonwoo sprints and punches Grand Prime Lee square on the jaw, making him fall back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." Wonwoo says and Grand Prime Lee spits out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's enough." Chan emerges from behind the trees and Wonwoo smiles at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm still a little pissed you pick this douche over joining us." Wonwoo says to Chan and Wonwoo noticed the portal on his feet a little too late to jump away but he keeps his cool and watches where he falls and he tessers himself right over the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What did you call me? I'm centuries older than you." Grand Prime Lee spits out and Wonwoo shrugs as he stands up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"An antique douche, then." Wonwoo says, grinning and Chan steps in between them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I said that's enough." Chan says and Wonwoo holds his wrists and pulls him in as he takes a step back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Chan-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't. You know i can't come with you." Chan says and Grand Prime Lee pulls him back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jihoon, please. We can talk this out."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jihoon? What the fuck is a Jihoon?" Wonwoo asks and Grand Prime Lee scowls at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, Jihoon. Since you've obviously said what you wanted to, I'm gonna go now." Wonwoo says and he looks over Jihoon's shoulder and smiles at Chan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know how to find me, right?" Wonwoo asks and Chan sighs and nods once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wonwoo." Grand Prime Lee calls out to him again and Wonwoo scowls.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jihoon." Wonwoo says and he walks away. Wonwoo was a couple of steps away when he remembers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seungcheol.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh, By the way." Wonwoo says and he turns. He smiles at him and focuses and he builds enough momentum in his fist before opening a portal right in front of Jihoon's face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's for Seungcheol. He told me to tell you that he's coming for you." Wonwoo says as he flexes his fists and watches as Chan holds Jihoon back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're an ass, by the way." Wonwoo says and Jihoon shrugs Chan off of him. Wonwoo smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If you're within ten meters from us at any point after I walk away from you, I won't hesitate to tesser my hand into your chest and rip out your cold, useless heart." Wonwoo says and Jihoon holds his gaze for a while before sighing and falling to his knees. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I am not your enemy here, Wonwoo. I am just doing what I've been told to." Jihoon pleads and Wonwoo scoffs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And what has that brought you? Huh?" Wonwoo asks and Jihoon stares at him with a broken look that would look sad if Wonwoo had any ounce of empathy for him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't give a shit what you think you've done for us, or what you think you've done for the world. But you broke off the stitch between you and Seungcheol and that's something I will not forgive you for." Wonwoo says and Jihoon casts his eyes down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You have no idea what you're talking about." Jihoon says and Wonwoo scoffs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't I? I heard from Seungcheol how it felt like to have your soul unknit slowly. How it felt like his heart was drowning and burning at the same time. How it felt like to be killed by your hands. Yeah, I may not have any idea about what I'm talking about. But I know what it did to Seungcheol. What about you?" Wonwoo asks and Jihoon looks at him with broken eyes and Wonwoo scoffs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't talk to me about understanding pain when you're the one who's running from all the people you've hurt." Wonwoo says and he walks away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He's pretty sure Chan saw the tear falling from his eye but since he's not  gonna notice it, Wonwoo's not gonna notice the ones falling from's Jihoon's. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wonwoo was back out on the side of the road when he noticese him following him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't like whatever game it is you're playing." Wonwoo says and he hears a sigh right over his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's not that simple, Wonwoo. Jihoon's just trying to help." Chan says and Wonwoo sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He has a weird way of showing how helpful he could be." Wonwoo says and Chan pulls him by the hand and Wonwoo sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Please. No more fighting. We just want to talk." Chan pleads and Wonwoo sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If you want to talk then come with me. With us!" Wonwoo offers. Again. And again, Chan casts his eyes down and shakes his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't think they'd trust me." Chan says and Wonwoo takes a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"They trust me enough to at least give you the benefit of the doubt." Wonwoo says and Chan lets out a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wonwoo." Chan calls out and Wonwoo sighs. Wonwoo's breath hitched when Chan pressed his hand on his chest and heals him from within. Wonwoo can feel the strain in his ankle dissipate after a second. Wonwoo can't help but place his hand over Chan's as he feels every bit of tiredness from his bones turn into nothing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've been studying. About how the hearth uses what they can to mend the body." Chan says and he stops. his hand was still on Wonwoo's chest and Wonwoo watches as Chan holds his gaze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"When you heal a broken bone you don't replace it with a new one. You direct it where it's supposed to be and then you let the body heal itself." Chan says and Wonwoo nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But with the hearth, you do that but you also assist the body to heal itself. It's like, talking to every nerve, every tissue, every cell, to do what they need to do." Chan says and that was when Wonwoo felt it. He sighs, tessers him right next to Wonwoo, and holds his arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jun. Eavesdropping is not an attractive trait." Wonwoo says as he holds onto thin air and Chan takes two steps back from Wonwoo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So is fraternizing with the enemy." Jun says and he takes off the illusion and he comes into full view.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay, first of all, he's not the enemy. If anything, he's the only ally we can actually lean to right now. And second, </span>
  <em>
    <span>fraternizing</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" Wonwoo says and Chan takes another step back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jun." Chan says and he bows his head to him. Jun just stares at him and Wonwoo sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't like it, Wonwoo." Jun says and he gives Wonwoo his very attractive frown. Maybe that's a rather biased adjective but Wonwoo's sticking with it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Trust me on this. Okay? If he shows any sign of betrayal I'll tesser his head to, like, Germany or something and leave his body in Singapore." Wonwoo promises and Jun sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You were telling him something. About healing." Jun says and Wonwoo pulls him back to his side. Chan sighs and nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think I know how to pull through with the plan without having to follow their plan." Chan says and Wonwoo blinks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Can you say that again but, like, with a different combination of words so we can somewhat understand?" Jun asks and Wonwoo slaps his arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What Channie's trying to say is that he's got a plan." Wonwoo says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Right?" Wonwoo asks and Chan nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Right." Chan says and he sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But, the plan also includes a Grand Prime." Chan adds and Wonwoo huffs. And as if on cue, Grand Prime Lee emerges from the trees.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jihoon." Wonwoo says as a warning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're not gonna rip my heart out, right?" he asks and Chan sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Tempting, but no. Not unless Mingyu or Minghao knows any other Grand Primes, at least." Wonwoo says and Jun tugs on the sleeve of his shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wait. What the fuck is a Jihoon?" Jun asks and Wonwoo can't help but smile at Jihoon's scowl. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Jun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>everything clears up and Chan tells them about his plan</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this has been in my googledocs for so long so i figured it's about time i post it akdjbakdba</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jun didn't think this through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, he kind of, sort of, did.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But his plan was for the four of them. And it was a good plan. But now, with four bags filled with clothes and five paper bags with different kinds of food between the six of them, Jun would have to say they're a lot more suspicious than he had hoped they would be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jun had gotten them a room with three huge beds and he watched Mingyu head straight for the bathroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There's a bathtub." Mingyu says, holding Den-de in his hands and Minghao grabs one of the two remotes and he turns on the T.V. only for all of them to flinch at the sound of moaning and whining in the T.V.. Minghao immediately turns off the T.V. and grabs the other remote.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was trying to get the A.C. to turn up." Minghao says with flushed cheeks and Jun smiles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Of course. Well, before we talk about saving the world and all that, let's have dinner first." Wonwoo says and he takes off the bag on his back and grabs for a paper bag and starts pulling out the food. Minghao and Mingyu follow suit and Jun takes off his bag and watches Chan and Grand Prime Lee stand by the door, staring at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You guys eat food, right?" Jun asks and Chan turns to him with a smile and he nods. Chan may have the memories of a centuries old wiccan but it's painfully obvious to Jun that he still is just a kid about their age. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Anything particular?" Jun asks and Chan turns to him, smiling. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll eat just about anything." Chan says and Jun catches Wonwoo's eyes and Jun nods. Wonwoo moves away from the table and does a little expansion spell to make the table twice as big. He then walks up to Chan and Jihoon and he offers his hand to Chan with a smile and Chan takes it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not touching you." Wonwoo says to Grand Prime Lee and Grand Prime Lee scowls at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Saves me the trouble of disinfecting my hand, then." Grand Prime Lee says and Minghao and Mingyu stop what they're doing to glare at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Down, boys. It's cool." Wonwoo says. He turns to Grand Prime Lee and Grand Prime Lee scowls even more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We're cool, right Jihoon?" Wonwoo asks again, his words heavier than before and Grand Prime Lee, or Jihoon, sighs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry. Yes, we're cool." Jihoon says and Chan grabs his hand and pulls him towards the end of the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They eat rather quickly, and very messy. Jun was almost embarrassed by it given how Chan and Jihoon's face look like as they stare at Mingyu eating and dropping whatever he was eating on the table at least once before it even makes its way to his mouth. Minghao and Wonwoo would take turns trying to clean up his face and Mingyu would smile at them as they did while Den-de was gorging himself by sitting in the middle of the salad and just shoving everything in his mouth almost identical to Mingyu. Jun watches everything as if he was standing a meter away from the table and he notices Chan's and Jihoon's gaze. One staring at them with longing in his eyes and the other looking at it as if it was a memory he had tried hard to forget. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We're sorry for not believing you." Jun starts and Jihoon turns to him with wide eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We recently had help with a great demon and she told us that we are indeed the reincarnations of the four. But I guess you understand why we acted the way we did."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Right. Chan did say I was a bit too much that day." Grand Prime Lee says and Chan nudges him with his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I didn't say 'a bit'." Chan adds before taking a bite of pizza and Jihoon sighs as Chan smiles at them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Right. Well, yeah. I apologize. In my defense I am more than a thousand years old and over half of that time was time I spent alone." Jihoon says and Jun runs his gaze over the other three and finds them looking as shocked as he feels. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My social skills are... rusty." Jihoon adds and Wonwoo scoffs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We could tell." Wonwoo says and Jun slaps his arm and Wonwoo just scowls at his food.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wonwoo." Mingyu calls out and Wonwoo just sighs and kept on eating.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's alright. I am sorry for how i reacted. This was the only thing left for me. The one thing they told us about that made my lonely years meaningful." Jihoon says and Wonwoo scoffs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You act like you being alone wasn't your choice." Wonwoo says and Jihoon turns to glare at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It was the choice I had to make." Grand Prime Lee defends and Wonwoo just adds fuel to the fire by laughing at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It was one of many choices you could have made." Wonwoo says with as much venom as he could and Jihoon slams his fist on the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How could you possibly know about the choices I could've made?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know because while you were trailing us I was trailing your life. I was walking back through every year you've lived and through every place you've been." Wonwoo says and Jun stares. None of them knew what Wonwoo was doing all these time but none of them would have thought it'd be that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And how could you possibly be sure where I've-" "Did you honestly think he never knew where you were all these years?" Wonwoo cuts him off and Jihoon's eyes widened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What did you say?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You may have undid your stitch together but Seungcheol still respected his vow to you that day." Wonwoo says and Jun watches the exchange.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He told you he'd always be next to you unless-" "Unless I didn't want him to." Jihoon cuts Wonwoo off and Wonwoo huffs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. So I apologize, Jihoon, if I can't take your self pity seriously." Wonwoo says and he pushes his chair back and stands up. Before Jun could say anything, Wownoo turns around and tessers out of the room. Jun sighs and he smiles at Chan and Jihoon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The room was silent after Wonwoo disappears and Jun sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's a bit touchy when it comes to Seungcheol." Jun says and Jihoon takes a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why is that?" Jihoon asks and Jun shrugs. Jun notes the slight tension in Jihoon's voice and </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's a teacher student bond kind of thing. And Wonwoo's heart is easily bruised." Mingyu adds and Jun nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Easily bruised?" Chan repeats and Jun nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. Softest one amongst the four of us, really. And he feels others pain more than I do even when I was the only compulser in the group." Mingyu says and Jun smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's a sap. He finds out about your past with Seungcheol and ever since then he's been waiting for the moment to punch you in the face. So I'd be careful, if i were you." Jun says and Jihoon holds his jaw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"A little too late for that but thanks." Jihoon says and Jun sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He thinks with his heart most of the time." Jun says and Mingyu gets up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm gonna go after him." Mingyu says and Jun nods. Mingyu steps right onto where Wonwoo was and he tessers out of the room. Den-de makes a quiet sound on the table and he jumps out of his salad to call after Mingyu. Jun pats his back gently and smiles at him as he sits on the edge of the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>"He has every right to be mad at me. If he heard the story from Seungcheol." Jihoon says and Jun watches Chan look at Jihoon with a sad look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I did it on purpose." Jihoon says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Did what?" Minghao asks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I made him hate me. Made sure that the only thing he'd remember of me was how much I hurt him." Jihoon says and Jun stares.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, it seems like you did a great job." Jun adds and Jihon smiles and nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Too good of a job that I think Seungcheol saw right through it." Jihoon says and Jun smiles.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jun can see how he would think of doing that. Of making someone hate you to protect them from the truth. And it's the reason why Wonwoo sat him down and told him never to protect them from the truth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Was it true?" Jun asks and Jihoon's head turns to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What is?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That you broke off your..." Jun can't find the words to even finish it and Jihoon nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wonwoo told me that that's how he knew when you were close." Minghao says and Jihoon and Chan turn to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I was teaching him how to sense people through the Wild and he told me that it's kind of like how a Tesser would sense the flow of time and space in one area. And he told me that Seungcheol felt exactly like how you did." Minghao says and Jihoon takes a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How has he been?" Jihoon asks and Minghao smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's an ass." Minghao says and Jun watches as Grand Prime Lee laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He seems to be real proud of the fact that he's the youngest Prime Tesser before." Jun adds and Jihoon's smile dissappears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Before?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wonwoo's the youngest. He beat him by a couple of years." Minghao adds and Jihoon smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Seungcheol used to be really sweet. He has that wide eyed kind of innocence in him that you won't see in anyone around that time." Jihoon says and Jun watches as Jihoon lets himself walk down his own memory lane.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That was probably the darkest time in all of wiccan history. But only becasue they find themselves inferior of all the creatures of the wild and they never liked that. They were making wiccans left and right all for the sake of building an army. It was the first flaw the Wild saw in the wiccans and that's why the Wild corrected it by creating us." Jihoon says and he held out his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Four of us were chosen to help correct the wrongs wiccan have created but the council used us to make that wrong bigger." Jihoon says and Jun can sense it in his voice and can see it in his eyes. The lost he felt and the weight he had to carry with his actions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <b>The youth of the land. The sun of truth. The devourer of space. The tamer of heart</b>
  <span>." Jihoon says and four figures rose up his palms. Four wiccans in their ritual robe and the one on the left was Jihoon himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The First five took us and trained us for ten years and they brought us back on the day after we were gone." Jihoon says and Jun was lost for a second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"They made a pocket universe where a day here is a decade there." Jihoon says and Jun takes a deep breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You've been gone for a decade and-" "And when I get back they greeted us with a good morning and asked me if I would like breakfast." Jihoon says and Jun watches him smile sadly at his plate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And the Five?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"They told us to know the difference between fighting for the wild and fighting for the wiccans." Jihoon says and Minghao sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What about the people?" Minghao asks and Jihoon turns to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What </span>
  <em>
    <span>about </span>
  </em>
  <span>the people?" Jihoon asks and Minghao huffs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Did you know about the people of the sea? There's at least a couple of colonies just a few miles from here and they live deep in the ocean. And the fae of the ground who lives right under the topsoil. And then you have the faeries and dwarves and elves and sprites that live in the forests and that's just the main kingdoms. If I count all the old creatures of the wild there are far more species than ethnicities of people in the whole world." Minghao says and Jihoon stares.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What I'm trying to say is, I think you missed their point." Minghao says and Chan turns to stare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's what I kept telling him." Chan says and Minghao stares.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The wiccans are just one group of the many other and the Wild is all of them connected as one." Chan says and Minghao nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"They weren't asking you four to fight the wiccans or to fight with them. They were asking you to </span>
  <em>
    <span>stop the fight.</span>
  </em>
  <span>" Jun says as soon as he realizes what Chan and Minghao were saying and Jihoon stares.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"To fight for the wild is to love your enemy."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Jun adds and the three of them stared at him. Jihoon sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know. Only  it was a little too late when I realized what it meant. When we realized what it meant." Jihoon says and he closes his fist, the four images dissipate into gold dust.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We agreed to isolate ourselves from the wiccans and it wasn't a problem to the other three since they haven't been stitched to anyone prior to the war. Wherein I was already with Seungcheol." Jihoon says and Jun nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ripping off our stitch was the hardest and most painful thing I've ever done and I swore that Seungcheol would be the last person I'd ever hurt." Jihoon says and he clenches his fist onto his shirt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know you know that breaking a stitch is against the laws but it runs deeper than that." Chan says and he holds Jihoon's hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The Wild's hearth can heal any sickness and can correct any wrong but in all the years of its existence it's never healed a broken soul before." Chan says and Jihoon smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's easier to live with a broken heart given how easy it is to hide it." Jihoon says and Jun smiles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What is it with Tessers and running away from their pain? Is that like a thing I should practice to make my tessering better?" Jun asks and Jihoon smiles at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Jun derails their conversation and redirects it to the food and he found it amusing how the Grand Prime Lee he only used to read about in books and old scrolls is really in front of him chugging on a canned coke before grinning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What is it about me that you find unsettling?" Chan asks and Jun was surprised to see him staring at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" Jun asks and he turns to see Minghao and Jihoon having a heated discussion about the Wild.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You don't like me." Chan says and Jun notices him speaking softlly so as to not get noticed by the others. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well. I don't hate you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Never said you did. But you're wary of me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I have to. Wonwoo trusts you blindly so someone has to doubt you." Jun says and Chan nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wonwoo doesn't just blindly trust me. I helped him once. Not that he'd tell you about it but, yeah."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, I still stand by what I say. The minute I so much as think you're up to no good we're leaving you." Jun says and just as he does, Wonwoo and Mingyu pop up next to the bed and Jun watches Mingyu smiling and Wonwoo still scowling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mingyu tugs on Wonwoo's wrist and pushes him forward and Wonwoo scoffs and crosses his arms in front of his chest. Everyone gets up and turns to face them and Wonwoo just stands there. Mingyu slaps the back of Wonwoo's neck once and gives Wonwoo a pointed look when Wownoo turns to glare at him and Wonwoo frowns.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry for being rude and for being mean. And I'm sorry I called you a selfish asshole and an entitled jackass." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You never called me those names." Grand Prime Lee says and Wonwoo shrugs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I did. In my head. I also called you-" Wonwoo was cut off by another hit in the back of his head and Mingyu smiles at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wonwoo." Mingyu says sweetly that it scares Jun.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. I'm sorry. I'll do my best to try and be nice from now on because you're gonna help us." Wonwoo says with a frown and he huffs when Mingyu hugs him from behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Uh. Apology accepted." Grand Prime Lee says and Mingyu drags Wonwoo back to the table and they continue eating. Wonwoo chews on his pizza with a soft grumble and a frown and Jun lets Minghao soften Wonwoo up as Mingyu talks more with Grand Prime Lee. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You said you had a plan, right?" Jun asks Chan and Chan nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is this plan gonna end up with one of them getting hurt?" Jun asks and Chan stops chewing to stare. He swallows and he levels Jun with his own eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good. That's all I wanna know." Jun says and he smiles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well..." Chan says and Jun sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's not gonna physically hurt anyone but someone's not gonna like the first thing we have to do to make this plan work." Chan adds and Jun looks around the room and nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Who would that be?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Jihoon."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" Jihoon asks at the same time Wonwoo says "That's fine with me." Earning him a shoulder on the side from Mignyu.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The First Five took four Grand Primes to help solve the world, right? That was the first plan. Then they left to go back to the wild to help the wild grow stronger from the inside while the Grand Primes help it from the outside” Chan says and everyone nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What if we make their first plan happen instead of their current plan which involves mainly genocide?” Chan asks and Jun blinks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look. Mastering Hearth to heal is like, learning the basics in coding and then inputting the right codes so a computer would fix itself. I’m technically not healing you. I’m asking the Wild for power to help you go back to your, let’s say, factory reset status. That’s how the Hearth heals. And that’s why it works on non living things, too!” Chan explains.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But we didn’t have a Hearth wiccan back then.” Grand Prime Lee says and Chan claps his hand and points at Jihoon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly. And that’s why I made sure you four got the basics of hearth healing so that with all four of you combine-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’d have one Grand Prime Hearth user.” Jun finished and Chan nods.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I keep forgetting that you have your memories as, you know, him.” Mingyu adds and Chan smiles and shrugs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it’s not all there. Some stuff are blurry and some are hazed up but I’m just…” Chan looks around and smiles at all of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just glad to be with you again. Regardless of your memories.” Chan says and something inside Jun expands and he didn’t have to look around and ask to know that he wasn’t the only one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You five were… I’m not gonna pretend like I never hated you for giving me this kind of life but I will try my best to live up to it. And I’m okay with the plan. I’ve lived with them for hundreds of years so I think i can handle them.” Grand Prime Lee says and Jun turns to his not so happy face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re saying that like meeting them would be punishment for you.” Jun says and Grand Prime Lee actually sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. But there’s one I can tolerate so we can start with him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tolerate? That’s not what i remember.” Chan says and he picks up his soda and sips on the straw with a raised eyebrow and a shit eating grin on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, what? Really? So much for the hard life of isolation, huh?” Wonwoo jumps in right away and Jun grabs him by the shoulder and pushes him down on the seat next to him before wrapping his arm around his waist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not like that. All of us can see the Jihoon was missing half of himself while we were training them but we could also see the bond he had with our Grand Prime Illustrate. And we didn’t choose you guys blankly, okay? You four were connected in more ways you could imagine.” Chan explains and he smiles at Grand Prime Lee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seungcheol is his other half but if i had to use a proper term I’d say that our Illustrate would be your soulmate of some kind.” Chan says and Grand Prime Lee sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can we please go back to the plan now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We still are talking about the plan. Where to find the Grand Prime Illustrate and how to convince him to help us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Last I heard from him, he was in Los Angeles. But that was decades ago.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you said you four parted ways?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re hundreds of years old cursed to live for eternity, Wonwoo. We need every bit of Sanity we could offer each other.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sanity. Is that what you called it back in the days?” Wonwoo asks and Jun just wraps his arms around Wonwoo’s shoulder and covered his mouth with his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please continue. I’ll take care of this.” Jun says and Wonwoo sighs through his nose.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, Grand Prime hunt is a go. First up. Grand Prime Chwe.” Chan says. Jun looks around the room and smiles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Grand Prime Hunt will start tomorrow because our tessers are tired and we did book the room for the night. So everyone clean up and pair up since we only have three beds.” Jun says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After that, Mingyu immediately wraps his arms around Minghao. Wonwoo whispers something about pairing up with Grand Prime Lee so he can do something while he sleeps so Jun smiles and says they’ll pair up. And Grand Prime Lee and Chan would share the last bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone’s full, everyone’s had their turn in the shower, and everyone had changed into clothes Mingyu and Minghao managed to get along with the food. Everyone’s fine Everything’s fine. They have a plan and they have each other so all he has to do is keep Wonwoo from tessering ice cubes to fall on Grand Prime Lee’s face and they’re set for the night.</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>More to come &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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